Tesla is recalling the entire Model S fleet because a seat belt could fail

Tesla is voluntarily recalling the approximately 90,000 Model S
sedans that are on the road worldwide. The affected vehicles have
front seat belts that could fail to function correctly in an
accident.

According to a representative at Tesla, a single Model S in
Europe experienced a seat-belt malfunction.

There was no accident, but when an owner turned around to speak
with passengers in the rear seat, her seat belt came loose. The
owner notified Tesla, and the company confirmed the fault, which
could cause the seat belt to tighten incorrectly in a crash.
Tesla repaired the defective seat belt.

There have been no other incidents, and Tesla has inspected 3,000
Model S vehicles since early November, when the problem was first
reported. The company explained that the potential flaw is
related to a bolt that would take a few minutes to inspect and
repair at a Tesla service center. The cost, according to Tesla,
is "immaterial."

The company emphasized that while it has reported the incident to
regulators globally, it has not yet been required to recall the
affected vehicles. Instead, Tesla is recalling every Model S on
the road out of an "abundance of caution," the Tesla
representative said.

The problem affects only front seat belts, not rear. And the
Model S is the only vehicle affected. The recently launched Model
X SUV doesn't have the problem, which Tesla has concluded
developed during the assembly process at the automaker's
California factory, not with a parts supplier.

The Model X SUV isn't affected by the
recall.Benjamin Zhang /
BI

In an email to owners, Tesla said: "First and foremost, we care
about your safety." And it outlined a process for owners to have
their vehicles inspected. They can book an inspection online or
visit a service center. Tesla also said that it's exploring ways
to send technicians to owners who can't easily get to one of its
125 service centers, and that it may be able to perform an
inspection at Supercharger stations.

Owners can also self-test their seat belts; but Tesla said that
this isn't a substitute for an official inspection.

"If you are concerned about the status of your seat belt prior to
your scheduled inspection, you may be able to detect this
condition by pulling very firmly on the lap portion of your seat
belt with a force of at least 80 pounds," the carmaker said in
its email. "This procedure may detect an improperly attached seat
belt but performing this procedure does not replace the need for
an inspection by a Tesla technician."

This is largest recall in Tesla's history, but it comes at a time
with massive safety-related recalls have roiled the industry.
General Motors recalled millions of cars worldwide for an
ignition-switch defect that could cause airbags to malfunction in
a crash. And Takata has been involved in a massive global recall
of vehicles by numerous manufacturers because of airbag inflators
that can spray occupants with metal shards.

"This goes above and beyond what's traditional in the industry,"
the Tesla representative said. "But from [CEO] Elon Musk on down
it was unacceptable to Tesla."

Tesla shares were trading down slightly in trading Monday,
dipping to $214 before rebounding to around $220.